Could there be a Season 2 of AppleTV+’s Defending Jacob? Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery have weighed in on the possibility of continuing the series beyond its first season. Billed as a miniseries, the one-time feature film project is an adaptation of William Landay’s standalone novel, Defending Jacob. Is there more to mine?
Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery both signed on for Defending Jacob as a one-off miniseries. However, as things go these days, the hit status of the AppleTV+ drama has some wondering if Season 2 is feasible. A similar question raised when HBO’s limited series, Big Little Lies, had tremendous success and subsequently returned for its own Season 2.
Wanting more is an issue that has faced many miniseries fans, and as Big Little Lies viewers will probably tell viewers of Defending Jacob, it is a nice problem to have. Albeit one you have to be prepared to have. For Chris Evans, the question of returning comes down quality. On the possibility of starring in Season 2, Evans told Deadline:
I would never do it unless it was a story worth telling, but from the perspective of at least the people that I’ve worked with, you know, in a heartbeat.
It sounds like if AppleTV+ can come up with a compelling enough angle, Chris Evans would consider a Season 2 return. Time will tell if the team behind the Defending Jacob adaptation answers the call and rises to the occasion with a second beat for Evans and his co-stars to return for.
What about Michelle Dockery? She stars as Jacob’s mother and the wife of Chris Evans’ Andy Barber. Could she foresee returning if Defending Jacob were to pitch coming back for Season 2? What about Pablo Schreiber? He seemed to have a good time on the crime drama too. For Dockery, it is complex, as she said:
We thought we were closing the door but I don’t know, I feel like there’s always an opportunity to revisit something and especially if the audience out there, there’s an appetite for it, so who knows? But as Chris was saying, this was such a pleasure, so we had such a wonderful time and yeah, I would jump in a heartbeat to do it all again.
I cannot go another step further without bringing up how Defending Jacob could return and how the AppleTV+ series did leave the door ajar for a reprise. The book’s conclusion is pretty cut and dry, while the TV show’s ending seems to hedge its bets at a possible Season 2. How?
Warning: Spoilers for the ending of Defending Jacob are discussed below.
AppleTV+’s Defending Jacob ends with Michelle Dockery’s Laurie convinced of Jacob’s guilt. In an almost manic state, she confronts her son while she is driving them, and upon him half-heartedly admitting he was guilty, Laurie becomes even more upset. She ultimately crashes the vehicle. Jacob and Laurie somehow survive, with Jacob in a coma, and his mother in critical condition.
The Defending Jacob book ends with a similar car scenario, although it ends with a different outcome. Jacob is killed, while Laurie survives with critical injuries. Obviously, you cannot really have a Season 2 without Jacob, and considering the TV show kept him alive, it seems to indicate the possibility is there.
Michelle Dockery and Chris Evans' characters would have a lot of fallout to work through in a potential Season 2. How does Evans' Andy feel about Dockery’s Laurie trying to kill their son? If Jacob comes out of his coma, how will he feel towards his mother for trying to kill them? Is Jacob actually guilty? The TV show leaves that later question pretty open-ended.
Season 1 of Defending Jacob is currently streaming on Apple TV+. While you stay tuned to see if there is a Season 2, you can check out this summer’s premieres.
